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What Does Holographic Sound Like?

And how do you get there? This is an interesting question. I have finally arrived at a very satisfying level of holography in my system. But it has taken a lot of time, effort and money to get there. I wish there had been a faster, easier and less expensive way to get there. But I never found one.

Can you get to a high level of holography in your system with one pair of interconnects and one pair of speaker wires? I don't believe so. I run cables in series. I never found one pair of interconnects and speaker wires that would achieve what has taken a heck of a lot of wires and "tweaks" to achieve. Let alone all the power cords that I run in series. Although I have found one special cable that has enabled the system to reach a very high level of holography -- HiDiamond -- I still need to run cables in series for the sound to be at its holographic best.

There are many levels of holography. Each level is built incrementally with the addition of one more wire and one more "tweak". I have a lot of wires and "tweaks" in my system. Each cable and each "tweak" has added another level to the holography. Just when I thought things could not get any better -- which has happened many times -- the addition of one more cable or "tweak" enabled the system to reach a higher level yet.

Will one "loom" do the job. I never found that special "loom". To achieve the best effects I have combined cables from Synergistic Research, Bybee, ASI Liveline, Cardas, Supra and HiDiamond -- with "tweaks" too numerous to mention but featuring Bybee products and a variety of other products, many of which have the word "quantum" in their description.

The effort to arrive at this point with my system has been two-fold. Firstly, finding the right cables and "tweaks" for the system. Secondly, finding where to place them in the system for the best effects -- a process of trial and error. A lot of cables and "tweaks" had to be sold off in the process. I put "tweaks" in quotation marks because the best "tweaks" in my system have had as profound effect as the components on the sound. The same for the best of the cables, as well. For me, cables and "tweaks" are components.

Have I finally "arrived"? I have just about arrived at the best level that I can expect within my budget -- there are a couple of items on the way. In any case, I assume there are many levels beyond what my system has arrived at. But since I'll never get there I am sitting back and enjoying the music in the blissful recognition that I don't know what I am missing.

I should mention that there are many elements that are as important as holography for the sound to be satisfying, IMO. They include detail, transparency, coherence, tonality, and dynamics, among others. My system has all of these elements in good measure.

Have you had success with holographic sound in your system? If so, how did you get there?
sabai

Showing 5 responses by orpheus10

orpheus10
8,668 posts
 

Sabai, my experiences have been the same as yours. Before I got to where I am, Carver holography was my thing. There's no comparison with what I had and what I got.

It took years to get where I am, but fortunately "high end emporiums" existed at that time. You could pay them a visit, and mix and match various pieces of equipment. I recall one time in particular when we were grooving high on top of the line ARC electronics, and Thiel speakers, when someone came in wanting to audition a Rotel amp. Although they kept the ARC CD player, ARC preamp and Thiel speakers in the mix, the sound stage went flat, no more holography.

That illustrated that you have to have it all, and the more expensive, the better. Not only do you need top of the line equipment, but 20 or so years as an audiophile doesn't hurt either.

In regard to what it sounds like? The short answer is "heaven". When stationary instruments occupy positions on a sound stage, with a vocalist that you can reach out and touch in the center, that's heaven. I just got a new cartridge that cost more than my wife will ever know, and heaven just got a lot better.
orpheus10
8,668 posts
 

I must have been responding to Almarg's post, my bad.
orpheus10
8,668 posts
 

Sabai, I left Carver behind a long time ago, that didn't compare to the holography I'm speaking of now, and I've heard incredible levels of holography with incredible price tags. What I heard at that high end emporium was all top of the line ARC and Thiel set up by an obsessed fanatic.

I had the pleasure of enjoying many listening sessions at his home. He enjoyed them as well because I'm not a motor mouth at listening sessions; I came to listen to music, not to talk about listening to music. As I recall he had CD's stored in those huge drawers, you see in public libraries.

The sound at his home was quite different from the sound at the emporium, it was lush, and euphoric as opposed to pin point, but even more "holographic". I believe the very best holographic speakers are "dipole" to some degree. His Von Schweikerts had speakers in both the rear and front of the cabinet.

As you stated, the degrees of holography are never ending, and they make the music so much more enjoyable.
orpheus10
8,668 posts
 

Sabai, I will be more than happy to tell you everything I know about holography. First, Carver was not true holography. I've owned and tried almost every gimic under the Sun, none of them worked.

Let us compare obtaining holography to cooking a good recipe; you begin with the best products you can buy. I suggest perusing an old library of "Stereophile" magazines and selecting from the components rated "Class-A". You also may need advice in regard to "synergy". Kevin at Upscale Audio is always in a talkative mood. Although I have custom speakers I'm partial to Von Schweikerts.

A dedicated listening room is also essential. There must be space between the back wall and the side wall in regard to the speakers. The only area you can make a substantial savings, is on interconnects and speaker wire. Since high quality wire is a must, you'll have to get it from a speaker store or "Vampire Wire", but you can get it in bulk and terminate your own.

Once you get it altogether, you'll still need advice from your "guru" of choice to make it click; but when it does, you're in "audiophile heaven".
orpheus10
8,668 posts
 

Sabai, I should be asking you the questions, as opposed to you asking me. My "holography" does not follow me around the room. When I leave the sweet spot, I leave the holography, maybe I can train it to follow me around the room.

But laying all jokes aside, "how do you do that"?
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